Eleanor Langford

Asked if Reform was appealing to racists, Starmer added: “No, I think there are plenty of people who vote Reform or are thinking of voting Reform who are frustrated... They want us to change things... and they want the change to come more quickly.”

Keir Starmer tells the BBC that Reform's plan to scrap ILR is a "racist policy", but that those who support Reform are not racists

"I do think that it is a racist policy. I do think it’s immoral. It needs to be called out for what it is," he said

Burnham leadership 'plot' could be killed off by Reform before it even begins Speculation has been growing that Burnham may be planning a leadership challenge to Keir Starmer next year

EXC from @theipaper.com's Kitty Donaldson

Labour sources fear Andy Burnham‘s attempt to win a safe seat to support a leadership bid could be doomed due to the threat from Reform

“That seat is not slam- dunk winnable for us... it could easily be Reform’s for the taking,” one source said

Tory MP Danny Kruger has defected to Reform

The signs were there - he said in a welfare spending debate in July that he did "quite like the Reform party and agree with its members"

But he did also say they'd "spend money like drunk sailors" and make a pact with the Lib Dems...

I'm back at work after what appears to have been a very quiet two weeks of news...........

I'll be attending Lib Dem and Labour conferences this year, so drop me an email if you're attending either and want to grab a ☕ or 🍺

'The only one who can save Labour': How King of the North Burnham could become PM Mayor of Greater Manchester has been critical of his own party's government

I’ve written for @theipaper.com about the growing talk around Andy Burnham’s future – and whether he’s quietly lining up a third bid for Labour leader

“He is definitely running though, as it stands,” one former aide told me. “Ideal timing is him finishing in 2028.”

Read it here 👇

The MPs who changed their mind on assisted dying, and why As the landmark legislation approaches its final House of Commons vote tomorrow MPs are switching sides

Final vote on assisted dying is tomorrow, and only 28 MPs need to change their minds for the bill to fall

Some MPs are pulling back over concerns about safeguards & scope, while others will support it for the first time

👇 I spoke to some of the MPs who've changed their view to find out why

Why Gen Z is deserting Labour for the Greens and Reform Both Gaza and trans rights have proven problematic areas for Labour

ICYMI: I spoke to several Gen Z voters to ask why their generation is increasingly finding they can't vote for Labour anymore, and whether there is anything the party can do to stop the young exodus

Why rumours about Lisa Nandy being sacked by Keir Starmer won't go away The Culture Secretary's allies say she is the victim of prejudice and sexist briefings

For months, there have been rumours that Lisa Nandy will be sacked by Keir Starmer. But, where are they coming from, and why won't they go away?

According to one of her allies, it's because of "a strain of anti-Northern prejudice that Lisa faces from a small group of people in Westminster"

👋 “I think we are in massive trouble, we are now facing an existential threat to our very existence,” one former MP who lost their seat in last year’s general election said

Another insider said: "The odds are shortening on us living through the end of the Conservative Party."

'It's a sh*tshow': Why Tories now fear extinction within two years Donors leaving for Reform and Badenoch 'invisible' to voters. Some insiders think they could be 'living through the end of the Conservative Party'

😬 This read from @theipaper.com's Hugo Gye has become even more timely after one poll this morning put the Tories *fourth* behind the Lib Dems

New YouGov/Sky News/Times poll puts Tories on 16% and Lib Dems on 17%, with Reform and Labour leading on 29% and 22%

Red Wall Labour MPs welcome immigration plan, while left attacks Starmer The reforms have elicited opposing views among different wings of the Labour Party - at a time when tensions were already building

Excellent piece by my colleague on how Keir Starmer's immigration crackdown - and the rhetoric that came with it - is dividing the Labour Party

Some defended the PM's words as "listening to people’s genuine concerns", but others have denounced his language as “shameful and dangerous”

Man, 21, arrested over three fires at sites linked to Keir Starmer The man was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life

It's always deeply concerning and a threat to democracy when the lives of politicians and their families are targeted - good news that somebody has been arrested

UK politics live: Grooming gangs scandal inquiries will take place locally, Government to announce It comes as Sir Keir Starmer visits Ukraine, and the Chancellor faces continued pressure over the economy

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to announce a plan for government-backed local inquiries into grooming gangs

Statement beginning in the Commons now - follow live updates here 👇

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

UK politics live: Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury pleads guilty to assault It comes as Sir Keir Starmer visits Ukraine, and the Chancellor faces continued pressure over the economy

BREAKING: Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury has pled guilty to assault after punching a man in his Cheshire constituency in October 2024

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

He calls for the UK to negotiate a new deal with the EU to send a message to Trump, warning that Starmer's current approach amounts to "saying 'No' more politely than the Conservatives"

"The UK must be far more positive, far more ambitious, and act with far more urgency"

In a speech in London, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey says the UK cannot take the "Farage approach" to the US of "fawning over Trump and licking his boots"

He said the Reform leader was "seemingly more interested in advancing Trump’s agenda over here than the UK’s interests over there"

MPs urged to ignore flaws in assisted dying bill and vote for it anyway MPs are in growing turmoil over legalising assisted dying

NEW: Opponents of the assisted dying bill have expressed concerns after it was suggested MPs should vote for it even if they are worried about the "practicalities" of the bill

Many fear the lack of Commons time means the bill won't get proper scrutiny

Wes Streeting’s further interventions today on assisted dying demonstrate that Simon Case’s advice that ministers should not publicly intervene on the matter was fairly pointless. Opponents in the cabinet have been especially outspoken.

Nigel Farage has been granted an urgent question on the transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius

The Reform UK leader also has a PMQ today

Guardian will no longer post on Elon Musk’s X from its official accounts Platform’s coverage of US election crystallised longstanding concerns about its content, says Guardian

Big news from Guardian Towers this morning...

The Guardian has announced it will no longer post content on Elon Musk’s X from official accounts.

(I'm staying put - for now - as feel it's important to at least try to retain some balance there).

www.theguardian.com/media/2024/n...

How MPs could vote on assisted dying - and it's closer than you might think An i survey reveals support for the landmark measure, but many remain undecided

I've been reporting on the UK assisted dying legislation since it was first announced a few months ago

A survey The i Paper did in October showed 54% of MPs were supportive... but there are still many that remain undecided who could swing the first vote on 29 November

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

A similar thing happened to me! I'm quite flattered

Six reasons MPs think the assisted dying laws won't work Some MPs have said they are worried the bill could lead to a 'slippery slope'

The UK Parliament is considering legalising assisted dying - terminally ill people seeking medical assistance to end their lives

Its proposer says it has the "strictest" safeguards in the world, but I've spoken to many MPs who aren't unconvinced - here's what they said

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Welcome to my first @bsky.app post! I've finally made the jump after being politely encouraged by @cameronclark.bsky.social for months...

Stick around for news and analysis relating to UK politics and parliament 👋